Do you ask yourself, “Why am I so tired?” Do you feel like no matter how much sleep you get, you’re still tired all the time? As the National Sleep Foundation puts it,

Most of us know that getting a good night’s sleep is important, but too few of us actually make those eight or so hours between the sheets a priority. We’ve forgotten what being really, truly rested feels like. To further complicate matters, stimulants like coffee and energy drinks, alarm clocks, and external lights — including those from electronic devices — interfere with our circadian rhythm, or natural sleep/wake cycle.” (1)

Of course, getting a good night’s sleep is important for having plenty of energy, but there’s more to the story than just sleeping well. If you’re always struggling to keep your energy up, things like your diet, hormonal balance, exercise routine, the amount of mental stressors in your life and your genetics are all relevant factors to consider.

All of these influence your hormone levels in one way or another, and many can make it difficult to sleep at night and to deal with everyday sources of stress, leaving you exhausted.

Luckily, there are plenty of lifestyle tweaks that you can put into play in order to fight fatigue and reclaim your energy. If you are tired all the time, it is important to make sleep — high-quality sleep — a priority. But if you are reaching that eight hour threshold and still feeling exhausted, your low energy level may be an indicator of an underlying problem. Let’s find out why you’re always tired.

11 Reasons You May Be Always Tired — and Natural Treatments!

1. Thyroid Disease

Twenty million Americans suffer from thyroid disease, and 60 percent of these people are unaware of it (!), according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. (2) Thyroid disease is especially a threat for women and older adults.

Thyroid disease can cause a wide variety of symptoms including:

fatigue

moodiness

muscle and joint pain

weight gain or loss

vision problems

poor work performance

changes in body temperature

and changes in appetite

A thyroid disorder can show up in many different forms because the thyroid gland is considered a “master gland,” one that secretes hormones that in one way or another impact almost every bodily function. For example, the thyroid gland is responsible for regulating body temperature, heart rate, production of protein, and also helps control your metabolic rate and energy levels.

Thyroid Disease Causes:

How are thyroid disorders caused? There are believed to be four main contributing causes of thyroid disease, which may be the reason you feel like you’re always tired:

Hormonal imbalances caused by stress and diet

Food intolerances to things like gluten and dairy

Radiation and toxicity exposure

A nutrition deficiency in iodine or selenium

Natural Treatment for Thyroid Disease

A thyroid disease may be causing you to feel sluggish. Here are some of the ways you can help recover:

Go gluten — and mostly dairy-free (especially from A1 casein cows).

Avoid toxins and heavy metals like BPA (Bisphenol A) found in plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

Have your iodine and selenium levels checked and then include more food sources of both, or taking supplements if need be.

2. Adrenal Fatigue or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Adrenal fatigue is believed to affect up to 80 percent of adults worldwide and is caused by a hormonal imbalance, similar to a how thyroid disease develops. (3) Your adrenal glands are extremely important endocrine glands which release more than 50 different hormones, including the energy-regulating hormones cortisol and adrenaline.

Chronic fatigue syndrome causes similar symptoms to adrenal fatigue and is believed to effect up to one million people in the U.S each year. Women are four times as likely to have chronic fatigue syndrome. especially those in their 40’s or 50’s, which is the age group that’s most impacted.

Symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and adrenal fatigue syndrome are similar and include:

fatigue that doesn’t go away even after getting good sleep

difficulty falling and staying asleep through the night

muscle and joint pain

stiffness and tenderness

headaches

frequently getting sick, such as having a sore throat, cold or flu-like symptoms

weight gain

digestive problems like constipation or cramps

mental fogginess

trouble concentrating and remembering things clearly

These key hormones increase and decrease according to the amount of stress being put on your body. As a result, high stress levels and adrenal fatigue symptoms are closely tied — it’s also why feeling frantic, busy and high-strung equates to you feeling like you’re always tired!

Adrenal Fatigue Causes:

When you’re under a high amount of stress due to emotional, physical and mental circumstances — which is common in almost all adults in our busy modern society — your adrenalscan suffer and fatigue can set in. There are many potential causes of adrenal fatiguethat make you feel completely wiped out, and theyinclude:

stressful family events

environmental toxins and pollution

chronic stress due to finances or an unfavorable work situation

emotional trauma and abuse

lack of sleep

overexercising

drug and alcohol abuse

poor diet

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Causes:

People with chronic fatigue syndrome usually specific, measurable abnormalities that include:

hypothalamic activity

pituitary dysfunction

poor immunity, including a low count of natural “killer cells”

hormonal deficiencies that are sometimes overlooked in a standard blood tests

frequent infections

yeast overgrowth

Natural Treatment for Adrenal & Chronic Fatigue:

In order to regain your energy, what can you do to solve adrenal fatigue or chronic fatigue for good?

Limit stress by exercising regularly in a healthy way, getting plenty of sleep, and practicing various relaxation techniques like reading, journaling, praying and any other activities that work for you.

3. Sedentary Lifestyle

In today’s busy, office-oriented work environments, it is common for many people to develop a sedentary lifestyle.

Sitting all day is very hard on your body and often causes soreness, pain in your neck, stiffness, back pain, and chronic headaches — it also can make you feel like you’re always tired! Your body was made to move, so when it doesn’t get regular activities, you can experience mood issues, sluggishness, fatigue, and weight gain.

What Causes a Sedentary Lifestyle:

desk job

lack of movement

back problems

chronic pain

habitual sitting

lack of motivation

Regular exercise can help balance hormones, improve insulin resistance and help you to get better sleep, all of which are important for fighting a lack of energy. Exercise does wonders for the body by releasing endorphins, boosting your stamina and lifting your mood. (Of course, it can also add more muscle tone to your body while burning unhealthy fat.)

One of the biggest perks of being more active?

It helps many people regulate hormonal patterns that allow them to sleep better at night. According to the Department of Exercise Science at the University of South Carolina, there is a uniquely potent effect of exercise on sleep. The researchers of a 2005 study concluded that “no other stimulus elicits greater depletion of energy stores, tissue breakdown, or elevation of body temperature, respectively. Exercise offers a potentially attractive alternative or adjuvant treatment for insomnia … Exercise could be a healthy, safe, inexpensive, and simple means of improving sleep.” (5)

Even when you’re feeling tired, if you think that skipping your normal exercise routine is going to positively impact your energy, you might want to think again about blowing off the gym or that run you planned. Exercise can actually help wake you up!

While it might feel difficult to get started when you’re always tired, long-term exercise will result in better hormonal balance and prolonged energy as you get more used to it.

One study conducted by the University of Georgia, for example, found that when adults who were initially sedentary began exercising lightly over the course of six weeks — just three days a week for about 20 minutes — they had more energy overall compared to when they first began. (6)

How to Get Moving:

Try a standing desk or one that adjusts for standing and sitting.

Sit on a large exercise ball. It keeps your back straighter and engages your core without putting as much strain on your hips and legs.

Take “walk” breaks. Walk around your building, office area or parking lot for 15 minute blocks at a time.

Plan regular outdoor activities or exercise right before or after work. My favorite is a quick burst training workout first thing in the morning.

Take 5-minute stretch breaks for every hour of work.

4. Depression

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders and energy zappers in the U.S., with an estimated 16 million adults ages 18 or older having at least one major depressive episode per year. (7)

Natural Treatment for Depression:

One of the biggest and most difficult symptoms to deal with regarding depression? Lack of energy and low motivation.Luckily, changes in your dietcan really help alleviate depression. This is because foods can significantly affect our mood via the actions of neurotransmitters in our brain. Follow an anti-depression diet to start boosting your ability to produce “feel-good hormones”:

Replace these energy-busting foods with proteins, vegetables, healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids and coconut foods, and other whole foods that make up a healing diet.

You can also try incorporating exercise, relaxation techniques and essential oils into your daily routine. Essential oils, for example, are an all-natural and cost-effective way to boost mood.

Try essential oils like rose, bergamot, lavender, roman chamomile and ylang ylang which have been proven to help elevate mood for many people suffering from depression and anxiety.

5. Poor Quality Sleep (Not enough or not consistent)

Most adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep consistently, each and every night, to feel their best, according to the National Sleep Foundation. (8)

Poor Sleep Causes:

poor diet

stress

staying up late

drinking alcohol

certain medications or supplements

mood or hormone imbalance

trauma or abuse

adrenal fatigue

pain and chronic pain

GERD/acid reflux/digestive disorders

normal family life – infants, children, etc.

There is such a range of reasons why we may not be sleeping long enough or well — and many more reasons than what I’ve listed here. However, it is important if you want long-term health for you and your family, to actively pursue healthy sleeping habits.

“Sleep deprivation studies repeatedly show a negative impact on mood, cognitive performance, and motor function,” state researchers from the Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine. (9)

While it’s no surprise that you need to sleep in order to avoid feeling like you’re always tired, you may be surprised to hear how just a small amount of sleep deprivation over time can really add up and harm your health and mood.

A study done by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that chronic restriction of sleep periods (sleeping between 4-6 hours per night over a 14-day period) resulted in significant cumulative deficits in cognitive performance on all tasks. The study concluded that “chronic restriction of sleep to six hours or less per night produced cognitive performance deficits equivalent to up to two nights of total sleep deprivation. It appears that even relatively moderate sleep restriction can seriously impair waking neuro-behavioral functions in healthy adults.” (10)

Natural Ways to Get to Sleep Fast:

Practice relaxation techniques that help you to unwind and fall asleep, such as journaling or reading

Take an Epsom salt bath to soothe muscles and ease your mind

Take magnesium supplements in the range of 300-400 mg. which promote relaxation and relieve muscle pain

Use essential oils such as lavender or frankincense

Avoid sugary and carb-heavy meals before bed which can give you a “sugar high”, keeping you up

Limit caffeine to small amounts during the morning hours, or at least cut yourself off after noon

Turn off all electronics 2 hours or more before bed to avoid blue-light exposure, which can disturb melatonin levels and make it hard for your mind to become sleepy

6. Anemia

Anemia is a condition where a person has a lower than normal level of red blood cells. Anemia is related to a low supply of oxygen reaching cells and tissues throughout the body.

Anemia symptoms include:

feeling like you’re always tired despite how much you sleep

weak bones and muscles

trouble exercising

being unable to concentrate

And in extreme cases:

fatigue, fainting

shortness of breath

heart attack, angina

spleen dysfunction

digestive issues

skin yellowing

Causes of Anemia:

Anemia occurs when there’s a problem with red blood cells making hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen throughout the body, especially to the brain where it’s much needed.

It’s connected to insufficient iron levels within the blood, in addition to low vitamin B12 and folate levels.

Anemia can also be caused by a loss of blood or a diet that’s too low in those essential nutrients and, thus, hinder the body’s ability to make enough hemoglobin.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, “If you have anemia, your body doesn’t get enough oxygen-rich blood. As a result, you may feel tired or weak. You also may have other symptoms, such as shortness of breath, dizziness or headaches.” (11)

Natural Treatment for Anemia:

Anemia symptoms can be greatly reduced by improving your diet and including plenty of foods that are rich in iron, vitamin B12 and folate. These include:

Brewer’s yeast, or nutritional yeast, which is loaded with B vitamins and tastes something like cheese but is actually totally dairy-free

Foods high in vitamin C that help with iron absorption, such as citrus fruits and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower

Green leafy vegetables that have a significant amount of iron and folate

7. Leaky Gut Syndrome

Leaky gut syndrome is a condition in which your digestive tract becomes damaged and small holes begin to develop in your gut lining. Small particles that normally can’t pass through your gut wall begin seeping through into your bloodstream. When someone has leaky gut syndrome, some of the things that can pass through the gut lining include proteins like gluten, bad bacteria and undigested foods particles.

Symptoms of leaky gut syndrome include:

feeling tired

digestive issues like cramps, bloating or diarrhea

skin irritations and rashes

trouble concentrating and learning

muscle and joint pain

headaches

weight gain

changes in mood

Leaky Gut Syndrome Causes:

prescription medication

antibiotics

eating foods high in phytates and lectins— such as glutenous grains, nuts, seeds (not soaked or sprouted)

GMO foods

processed foods, added refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup

thyroid disease

autoimmune conditions

When it comes to your energy levels, leaky gut is problematic because it can result in a nutrient malabsorption that cuts short your body’s working supply of essential vitamins and minerals.

For example, B vitamins are crucial for energy production because they are responsible for turning the basic compounds found in the foods you eat — like glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids — into useable “fuel” for the body. Iron and zinc levels (nutrients important for circulating oxygen throughout the body) may also become low due to leaky gut.

Natural Treatment for Leaky Gut Syndrome:

The solution to healing leaky gut includes removing foods and factors that damage the gut (like gluten and sugar). Replace these with various healing foods such as fermented foods, bone broth, sprouted grains, seeds and nuts, healthy sources of protein, vegetables and lots of healthy fats.

Make sure to fix any nutrient deficiencies by including plenty of whole foods in your diet that supply zinc, iron and B vitamins.

8. Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when there is an excessive loss of body fluids, especially of water and electrolytes — or not enough water taken in. When you start to feel thirsty, you body is already dehydrated.

Causes of Dehydration:

Excessive exercise without replenishing

drinking soda or other beverages instead

being outside in the hot sun for an hour or more

illness – vomiting, diarrhea, sweating

diabetes

prescription medications

menstrual cycle

IBS

stress

neglecting to drink water

higher altitudes

The most common cause of dehydration is simply not drinking enough water, or substituting water intake with only soda or juice. This is a critical mistake as not only does that spike your blood sugar, but also your cells cannot get enough water to function properly!

The major electrolytes in the body — sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate — are ion compounds that literally help your body to have energy via the force of electricity that keeps your organs and cells functioning. Some parts of the body that are more “electrically wired” and require a high amount of electrolytes and water include the brain, heart, nervous system and muscles.

Dehydration affects the actual viscosity (thickness) of your blood and the amount that your heart must beat every minute, as it tries to get oxygen to all your cells.

When you’re dehydrated, your heart sends oxygen and nutrients to your brain, muscles and organs at a slower pace; as a consequence, you begin to feel:

fatigued

lethargic

moody

like you have “brain fog”

weakness in muscles

unable to concentrate and perform tasks

According to researchers from the University of Barcelona’s School of Psychology, “being dehydrated by just 2 percent impairs performance in tasks that require attention, psychomotor and immediate memory skills.” (12)

Natural Treatments and Prevention of Dehydration:

Drink more water throughout the day, increase your intake of vegetables and fruits, and make sure you’re getting plenty of electrolytes in the form of whole foods. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, some of the best options to obtain electrolytes and to stay hydrated include:

Coconut Water

Celery

Watermelon

Cantaloupe

Cucumber

Kiwi

Bell Peppers

Citrus Fruit

Carrots

Pineapple

To calculate the amount of water you need to drink daily to avoid dehydration, take your weight in pounds, divide that number in half. In other words, if you’re a woman who weighs 140 pounds, you need to drink roughly 80 ounces per day, or roughly ten 8-ounce glasses of water to stay fully hydrated.

But this is only the amount of water if you do not exercise or do anything strenuous! If you work out or if you are active, then you ideally need to drink at least an extra 8 ounces for every 30 minutes of exercise.

9. Emotional Stress

Emotional stress can take a huge toll on your energy levels, especially when stress progresses to the point of an anxiety disorder or a sleep-related problem. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (AADA), anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the U.S. ages 18 and older (which is 18 percent of the U.S. population). The AADA states that “anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment”. (13)

Emotional Stress Causes:

Anxiety disorders are caused by a complex set of risk factors including:

genetics

brain chemistry

diet and lifestyle habits

It’s also very common for someone withanxiety to also have a form of depression, and vice versa — therefore, energy levels can suffer even more.

poor gut health

Natural Treatment for Emotional Stress:

To combat emotional stress, you’ll want to focus on adjusting your diet (more on that below), but also:

get plenty of sleep and exercise

avoid stimulants, including those found in many processed foods.

Also try using essential oils, adaptogen herbs, and taking supplements like magnesium and B vitamins that support your ability to cope with stress.

10. Blood Sugar Imbalance

Most people have blood sugar imbalances that can be easily fixed, but they aren’t even aware that this is a major contributing factor to their health problems and lack of energy. Chances are if you’re always tired, your blood sugar has something to do with it. Over time, imbalances in blood sugar can lead to serious diseases like type 2 diabetes, which has sadly become an “epidemic” in the U.S with over 12 percent of the adult population now considered diabetic according the US Centers for Disease Control. (14)

Symptoms of a blood sugar imbalance include:

feelings of fatigue

food cravings

headaches

moodiness

and anxiety

Causes of Blood Sugar Imbalance:

poor diet (processed foods, added sugars, and simple carbohydrates)

type I & II diabetes

pancreatic function

parasites

candida

Blood sugar levels become unbalanced when your diet is too high in various forms of sugar, which enter the bloodstream rapidly and can cause mood swings due to extreme elevations in blood glucose. Sugary foods, especially processed ones that contain tons of added sugar, put you on a “sugar high” followed by a “sugar crash.”

Natural Treatments for Blood Sugar Imbalances:

To get blood sugar levels back under control, you’ll need to really reduce, or even to completely eliminate, all sources of refined sugar from your diet. These include:

All sugary beverages — which are some of the worst culprits — like all soda, fruit juice, energy drinks, and sweetened coffee or tea beverages

Packaged snacks like all cookies, cakes, cereals and candy

Even natural sweeteners like raw honey and maple syrup, which can still affect blood sugar levels

Also consider cutting back or eliminating grains, especially gluten-containing grains like wheat products (including “whole wheat”). These contain large amounts of carbohydrates that are broken down into sugar within a few minutes of consumption. They can cause intestinal inflammation that affects hormones like cortisol and leptin, leaving you feeling weak and tired

Conventional (nonorganic and pasteurized) cow’s milk and dairy products should also be eliminated. Stay away from dairy products that contain A1 casein, which is produced by conventional cows and found in most milk, yogurt and cheese that’s available in the grocery store. When buying dairy, only purchase raw and organic kinds from pasture-raised animals

11. Poor Diet

You’ve probably noticed that almost all of the causes of you feeling like you’re always tired can be partially alleviated through changing your diet. That’s because your diet ultimately impacts your:

hormones, causing imbalances

neurotransmitter function, which make you prone to anxiety or depression

sleep cycles, making it hard to get enough restful sleep

mood

outlook on life

motivation and so much more

Causes of a Poor Diet Causing You To Be Tired:

habits

lifestyle

convenience

other influences

low-priority

One of the biggest risk factors for feeling tired all the time is being a “carboholic,” meaning someone who overeats grains, refined carbs and sugary foods. This same person also doesn’t acquire enough healthy fats, proteins, vegetables and essential nutrients that support ongoing energy.

How To Correct a Poor Diet:

Instead of hitting the dreaded 2 p.m. “post-lunch coma,” try changing your diet to incorporate more of these energy-promoting foods:

Foods high in B vitamins — B vitamins are abundant mostly in protein-rich foods. Try having plenty of sources like grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, cage-free organic eggs and poultry, and all kinds of green leafy vegetables.

Foods high in calcium, magnesium, selenium and zinc, which can all help you to relieve stress and get better sleep — these include unpasteurized organic dairy products, avocados, wild-caught salmon, green vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Healthy sources of fats, including omega-3 fatty acids — wild-caught fish, seeds, coconut and olive oil, avocados, and nuts can help stabilize hormones and your mood, so you sleep through the night better and fight depression, stress, and thyroid or adrenal disorders.

At the same time, try to limit or avoid the following …

High-sugar foods: Consuming too much sugar can negatively impact your energy by giving you blood “sugar highs” followed by “lows.”

Processed and refined flour: These “simple carbohydrate” foods act very similar to sugar in the body. They lead to fluctuations in blood sugar, mood swings, hormonal changes and food cravings.

Excessive caffeine: Too much caffeine can cause anxiety and hinder your ability to sleep well, even if you stop drinking it in the afternoon. Caffeine can remain in your system for up to six hours, so if you are going to have some, curb your intake by around noon each day.

Too much alcohol: Alcohol may help you to fall asleep, but it also interferes with REM sleep (rapid eye movement sleep), which is the deepest sleep state that’s needed to feel rested the following day. It can also increase anxiety and make it hard to manage stress.

From the sound of it, you might think leaky gut only affects the digestive system,
but in reality it can affect more. Because Leaky Gut is so common, and such an enigma,
I’m offering a free webinar on all things leaky gut.
Click here to learn more about the webinar.

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